Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Three classes of opioid receptors--mu, delta, and kappa--mediate physiological and pharmacological functions of the endogenous opioid peptides and exogenous opioid compounds in the central nervous system (CNS), as well as in peripheral tissues including the immune system. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, we show that freshly isolated and highly purified somatic (Sertoli and Leydig) and specific germ (spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes, round, and elongating spermatids) cells of the rat testis differentially express the mRNAs for these opioid receptor genes. Furthermore, to identify a functional mechanism for cytokine regulation of testicular opioid receptor gene expression, we employed primary Sertoli cells as a model system. In a semiquantitative PCR analysis using the S16 ribosomal RNA gene as an internal control, we show that interleukin-6 reduces kappa opioid receptor mRNA levels from 6 to 24 h of treatment in primary Sertoli cells. This regulation requires new RNA and protein synthesis and is partially mediated by the protein kinase A pathway. These findings are consistent with a role for the cytokine and opioid signaling pathways in Sertoli cellular function and the interaction that exists between the opioid and the immune systems in the CNS.
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PMID:Interleukin-6 regulation of kappa opioid receptor gene expression in primary sertoli cells. 1105 Oct 42

Type II secreted phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) releases precursors of important inflammatory lipid mediators from phospholipids. Some observations have indicated that the sPLA(2), which has been implicated in chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, contributes to atherosclerosis in the arterial wall. sPLA(2) was not detected in control vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Treatment of VSMC with agents that increase intracellular cAMP (eg, forskolin, dibutyryl [db]-cAMP) resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent increase in sPLA(2) gene expression. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed a marked dose-dependent inhibition of forskolin-induced mRNA by protein kinase A inhibitor. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis of nuclear proteins from forskolin-treated and db-cAMP-treated VSMC with C/EBP consensus oligonucleotides and C/EBP oligonucleotides from the rat promoter revealed greater binding than in control VSMC. Incubation of VSMC with H89, a specific protein kinase inhibitor, also blocked the binding of nuclear C/EBP to the C/EBP site of the rat promoter induced by db-cAMP and forskolin. Binding was unchanged with the use of CRE consensus oligonucleotides. Antibodies revealed the specific formation of C/EBP/DNA complexes, the majority of which were supershifted by C/EBP-ss and -delta antibodies. Functional activation of C/EBP was confirmed by a luciferase reporter gene assay. A construct comprising 4 tandem repeat copies of the C/EBP element from the rat sPLA(2) promoter linked to luciferase was transcriptionally activated in VSMC by cotransfection with expression vector for the protein kinase A catalytic subunit. It was also significantly activated in transfected VSMC treated by forskolin or db-cAMP. H89 inhibited this activations. We therefore conclude that the increases in sPLA(2) mRNA and enzyme activity produced by cAMP-elevating agents is controlled by a mechanism involving nuclear C/EBP-ss and -delta acting through a protein kinase A signaling pathway.
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PMID:Protein kinase A-dependent stimulation of rat type II secreted phospholipase A(2) gene transcription involves C/EBP-beta and -delta in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1111 53

Recent studies have shown that the homeobox gene Hex plays an important role in inducing differentiation of vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we examined the expression of Hex in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry showed a marked induction of Hex protein in neointimal VSMCs after balloon injury in rat aorta. Western and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that Hex was abundantly expressed in cultured VSMCs, whereas it was undetectable in other cell types or in normal aorta. The expression pattern of Hex was similar to that of SMemb/NMHC-B, a nonmuscle isoform of myosin heavy chain that we have previously reported to be a molecular marker of dedifferentiated VSMCs. We next examined the role of Hex in SMemb gene transcription. Promoter analysis demonstrated that the sequence identical to consensus cAMP-responsive element (CRE) located at -481 of the SMemb promoter was critical for Hex responsiveness. Mutant Hex expression vector, which lacks the homeodomain, failed to stimulate SMemb gene transcription, suggesting the requirement of the homeodomain for its transactivation. Elecrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that Hex binds to a consensus binding sequence for homeobox proteins, but not to CRE. Cotransfection of protein kinase A expression vector increased the ability of Hex to stimulate SMemb promoter activity in a CRE-dependent manner. Overexpression of CRE binding protein (CREB), but not Mut-CREB which contains mutation at Ser133, strongly activated Hex-induced SMemb promoter activity. These results suggest that Hex mediates transcriptional induction of the SMemb/NMHC-B gene via its homeodomain, and Hex can function as a transcriptional modulator of CRE-dependent transcription in VSMCs.
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PMID:Homeobox protein Hex induces SMemb/nonmuscle myosin heavy chain-B gene expression through the cAMP-responsive element. 1113 66

Eukaryotic cell division is regulated by cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKI). Genes encoding these proteins are mutated or deleted in many types of cancer. For example, 20%-30% of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) have deletions in the CKI known as INK4a. The contribution of INK4a deletions to the progression of B-lineage ALL is uncertain, partially due to a paucity of data on expression in normal B-cell precursors. We therefore conducted a comparative analysis of normal and leukemic human B-cell development for the expression of cyclins, CDK, and CKI. Specific stages of human B-cell development from normal bone marrow were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The sorted populations and B-lineage ALL cell lines (BLIN-1, 2, 3, 4) were examined for expression of cyclins, CDK, and CKI by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.RT-PCR analysis showed that cyclin D2, cyclin D3, CDK4, and CDK6 were ubiquitously expressed in normal B-cell development and in the BLIN ALL cell lines. The p19(INK4d) CKI was the most commonly expressed member of the INK4 family, whereas p16(INK4a) was more weakly and variably expressed. Expression of the p57(KIP2) CKI varied as a function of the stage of B-cell development. Analysis of normal B-cell precursors by Western blotting indicated that CDK4, CDK6, p19(INK4d), and p57(KIP2) were expressed, whereas p16(INK4a) was not detected. Cyclin D/CDK expression in normal and leukemic human B-cell precursors is similar to expression of these proteins in human and murine mature B cells. In contrast, the ubiquitous expression of p19(INK4d) has not been previously described in human or murine B-lineage cells. Our results suggest that loss of INK4a may only minimally contribute to tumor cell progression in B-lineage ALL, since expression of INK4d could provide a compensatory function as a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor.
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PMID:Novel expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in human B-cell precursors. 1130 Nov 89

DNA methylation of tumor suppressor genes is a common feature of human cancer. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene p16/Ink4A is hypermethylated in a wide range of malignant tissues and the p14/ARF gene located 20 kb upstream on chromosome 9p21 is also methylated in carcinomas. p14/ARF (ARF, alternative reading frame) does not inhibit the activities of cyclins or cyclin-dependent kinase complexes; however, the importance of the two gene products in the etiology of cancer resides in their involvement in two major cell cycle regulatory pathways: p53 and the retinoblastoma protein, Rb, respectively. Distinct first exons driven from separate promoters are spliced onto the common exons 2 and 3 and the resulting proteins are translated in different reading frames. Both genes are expressed in normal cells but can be alternatively or coordinately silenced when their CpG islands are hypermethylated. Herein, we examined the presence of methyl-CpG binding proteins associated with aberrantly methylated promoters, the distribution of acetylated histones H3 and H4 by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and the effect of chemical treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5aza-dC) and trichostatin A on gene induction in colon cell lines by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. We observed that the methyl-CpG binding protein MBD2 is targeted to methylated regulatory regions and excludes the acetylated histones H3 and H4, resulting in a localized inactive chromatin configuration. When methylated, the genes can be induced by 5aza-dC but the combined action of 5aza-dC and trichostatin A results in robust gene expression. Thus, methyl-CpG binding proteins and histone deacetylases appear to cooperate in vivo, with a dominant effect of DNA methylation toward histone acetylation, and repress expression of tumor suppressor genes hypermethylated in cancers.
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PMID:Selective association of the methyl-CpG binding protein MBD2 with the silent p14/p16 locus in human neoplasia. 1130 12

Polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) contribute to the initiation and progression of the immune response by mediating cytotoxicity, phagocytosis, and cytokine secretion. Because CD44 serves as a cytotoxic-triggering molecule on PMNs, it was hypothesized that it could also trigger cytokine production. In this study, the effect of anti-CD44 antibodies on interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in human PMNs was assessed. By using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, it was shown that PMNs stimulated with a mouse monoclonal or a rabbit polyclonal F(ab)(2) anti-CD44 transcribe IL-6 messenger RNA. A similar effect was obtained when an anti-CD44 antibody was replaced with hyaluronic acid (HA). Kinetic studies showed that anti-CD44 and HA induced IL-6 gene transcription, initiated 3 hours after stimulation, peaked between 12 and 24 hours, and disappeared after 48 hours. Analogous results were achieved when secreted IL-6 protein was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the PMN culture supernatants. To characterize which metabolic pathways regulated CD44-dependent IL-6 production in PMNs, an RNA polymerase inhibitor, actinomycin D, and 2 protein kinase inhibitors, such as genistein and staurosporine, were tested. Actinomycin D and genistein blocked IL-6 production, whereas staurosporine did not, suggesting that CD44-dependent IL-6 production requires gene transcription and tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, the relationship between CD44 and cytokines that affect PMN function, including interferon gamma (IFNgamma) and IL-2, was investigated. Without CD44 cross-linking, IFNgamma did not trigger IL-6 production. However, on CD44 cross-linking, IFNgamma produced a strong synergistic effect on IL-6 syntheses in human PMNs. (Blood. 2001;97:3621-3627)
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PMID:CD44 ligation on peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells induces interleukin-6 production. 1136 59

We investigated the mechanisms of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)-mediated effects on osteogenic cells in primary rat bone marrow cell (BMC) cultures. We first demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry that BMCs express the type I parathyroid hormone/PTHrP receptor. Treatment with PTHrP increased osteogenic cell proliferation as determined by [(3)H]thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and augmented osteogenic colonies. Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting revealed no direct effect on expression of the osteoblast markers, type I collagen, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin, indicating that PTHrP did not directly stimulate differentiation in this system. PTHrP increased mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity in BMC and MAPK activity, and PTHrP-induced osteogenic cell proliferation could be blocked by the MEK inhibitor PD-098059. PTHrP also increased Ras activity in BMC. Although wortmannin and H8, inhibitors of phosphoinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase A, respectively, did not block PTHrP-stimulated Ras or MAPK activity, chelerythrin chloride, a known protein kinase C inhibitor, did block these PTHrP actions as well as PTHrP-induced osteogenic cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that PTHrP stimulates osteogenic cell proliferation in rat marrow mesenchymal progenitor cells through protein kinase C-dependent activation of the Ras and MAPK signaling pathway.
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PMID:Parathyroid hormone-related peptide stimulates osteogenic cell proliferation through protein kinase C activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. 1140 23

We have shown that cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) mediates stimulation of L-type calcium current by cGMP in rabbit atrial myocytes. The human atrium may have similar PKG-dependent regulation of calcium current. To elucidate the significance of PKG in cardiac function, we have isolated human PKG type I alpha cDNA (+1 to 2016), determined the nucleotide sequence and analyzed specific expression of PKG in human atrium. We obtained full-length cDNA of PKG type I alpha from human atrial RNA using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The coding region of human cardiac PKG I alpha showed 99.9% homology to previously published human PKG I alpha except for base No. 1983. At this position G was substituted for T and this resulted in an amino acid substitution from Leu649 to Phe649. The cloned PKG I alpha cDNA was expressed in COS cells and the expressed PKG showed cGMP-stimulated PKG enzyme activity and immunoreactivity. Ribonuclease protection assay, Western blot analysis, and PKG enzyme activity assays in homogenates from human atrial tissue demonstrated the presence of PKG mRNA and protein in human atrial tissue. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed that PKG is highly expressed in human atrial myocytes. These findings suggest that PKG is highly expressed in human atrium and that PKG-dependent phosphorylation may be important in regulation of calcium channel activity in human atrial myocytes.
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PMID:Expression of cGMP-dependent protein kinase in human atrium. 1144 35

In the pancreas, ligands of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are thought to be implicated in the development and function of the islets of Langerhans, which represent the endocrine part of the pancreas. In a previous study, we randomly screened by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for RTKs expressed in the embryonic pancreas. One cDNA fragment that was cloned during this screen corresponded to the KIT receptor. The objective of the present study was to analyze the pattern of Kit expression in the pancreas. We demonstrated that Kit is expressed and functional in terms of signal transduction in the insulin-producing cell line INS-1. Indeed, upon treatment with the KIT ligand (KITL), the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase was phosphorylated, and the expression of early responsive genes was induced. We also demonstrated that Kit mRNAs are present in fetal and adult rat islets. We next used mice that had integrated the lacZ reporter gene into the Kit locus. In these mice, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) served as a convenient marker for expression of the endogenous Kit gene. Kit was found to be specifically transcribed in beta-cells (insulin-expressing cells), whereas no expression was found in other endocrine cell types or in the exocrine tissue. Interestingly, not all mature beta-cells expressed Kit, indicating that Kit is a marker of a subpopulation of beta-cells. Finally, by following beta-gal expression in the pancreas during fetal life, we found that at E14.5, Kit is expressed in both insulin- and glucagon-expressing cells present at that stage, and also in a specific cell population present in the epithelium that stained negative for endocrine markers. These data suggest that these Kit-positive/endocrine-negative cells could represent a subpopulation of endocrine cell precursors.
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PMID:Expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT in mature beta-cells and in the pancreas in development. 1152 67

In Pseudomonas syringae strains, the hrp-hrc pathogenicity island consists of an HrpL-dependent regulon that encodes a type III protein translocation complex and translocated effector proteins required for pathogenesis. HrpR and HrpS function as positive regulatory factors for the hrpL promoter, but their mechanism of action has not been established. Both HrpR and HrpS are structurally related to enhancer-binding proteins, but they lack receiver domains and do not appear to require a cognate protein kinase for activity. hrpR and hrpS were shown to be expressed as an operon: a promoter was identified 5' to hrpR, and reverse transcriptase PCR detected the presence of an hrpRS transcript. The hrpR promoter and coding sequence were conserved among P. syringae strains. The coding sequences for hrpR and hrpS were cloned into compatible expression vectors, and their activities were monitored in Escherichia coli transformants carrying an hrpL'-lacZ fusion. HrpS could function as a weak activator of the hrpL promoter, but the activity was only 2.5% of the activity detected when both HrpR and HrpS were expressed in the reporter strain. This finding is consistent with a requirement for both HrpR and HrpS in the activation of the hrpL promoter. By using a yeast two-hybrid assay, an interaction between HrpR and HrpS was detected, suggestive of the formation of a heteromeric complex. Physical interaction of HrpR and HrpS was confirmed by column-binding experiments. The results show that HrpR and HrpS physically interact to regulate the sigma(54)-dependent hrpL promoter in P. syringae strains.
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PMID:Enhancer-binding proteins HrpR and HrpS interact to regulate hrp-encoded type III protein secretion in Pseudomonas syringae strains. 1154 21


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